Call for families to collect dead bodies in American Samoa

An accumulation of dead bodies at the morgue in American Samoa may prompt the hospital's CEO to take to the airwaves and call for families to come forward.

Taufetee John Faumuina Jr says there are 32 bodies in the LBJ Hospital morgue and some have been there for a while.

He didn't say how many were from local families and how many were foreigners.

Our correspondent Monica Miller says in the past churches have paid for the dignified burial of unclaimed foreigners, but now there may be too many to help.

"There's no more room at the morgue. Some of the families have either forgotten or have just ignored that they have family members at the morgue. And in some cases they are fishermen, in some cases they are mainly Asians who do not have family members here."

Monica Miller says Taufetee is considering speaking to radio shows to prompt family members.